Mary Ann, I'm a few days late responding on this, but having just sent most of my first litter to their new homes, I find that my philosophy for the relationship with my puppies' new families and for keeping in touch is just like yours. I have decided that it is critical for me to set expectations up front with my potential homes. If they don't like some of my "requirements", then most likely we will not be a good match.
Would you be willing to share the questionnaire you send for followup? I haven't gotten to the point of creating my own yet. Thanks for such a great post on the importance of expectations and staying in touch. > Staying in touch with puppy owners -- the first step is being very explicit > about the expectations before placing a puppy. I spell things out to the > potential owners -- what the contact looks like, how often I want to hear > from them, what they can expect from me, and my rationale for maintaining > contact. I let them know that not everyone wants that kind of relationship > with a breeder, and while that is perfectly acceptable it is not how I do > things. Any good relationship starts with clearly articulated expectations. --snip-- > I try hard to be helpful and supportive to my puppy owners, without being > intrusive. Finally, I do not have so many puppies that I cannot track them > and care about each one -- and I never will because it is very important to > me to maintain those connections -- Cheryl Brickach
